Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Anushka Sharma among others have come forward to extend help to those in need amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Key Highlights

Celebrities around the world are doing their bit to fight the COVOD-19 crisis

Indian celebrities such as Akshay Kumar, Anushka Sharma, Kartik Aaryan, Prabhas, Allu Arjun and Rajinikanth have come forward to help

Some celebrities are also working towards providing food and shelter to the ones in need

The novel coronavirus is now rampaging across the world, forcing everyone to scamper into their homes and stay put, in the hope that some semblance of normalcy will return sooner rather than later. Sure, there are plenty of people who will come out of this with nothing more than a scratch to show for it, but for the majority, the pandemic has them worrying about their jobs and their livelihoods From layoffs to a lack of food, many people around the world are struggling with grave uncertainty, with nothing but hope to cling on to.

While many public figures and celebrities around the world have voiced support for healthcare workers at the frontline of the battle, proliferated important safety tips and precautions, and shared messages of encouragement and solidarity, a select few have opted to put their money where their mouths are, and loosened the purse strings. Here, we take a look at some of the most prominent media personalities to have lent a helping hand via donations:

Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Kahn have pledged donation to PM-CARES Fund, Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund and around five other charities.

Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan and Taimur

Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan have pledged to support India's fight against coronavirus by contributing towards PM Cares Fund, Maharashtra CM's Relief Func, UNICEF, GIVE INDIA and International Association Of Human Values. Kareena made the announcement on Instagram with a post.

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh

Power couple Deepika and Ranveer shared a post on social media as they pledged to contribute towards PM-CARES fund. Stating that "we are all in this together", the duo stated "we shall overcome".

Kartik Aaryan

Kartik Aaryan, too, has lent a helping hand in these times of crisis. The Love Aaj Kal actor has donated Rs 1 crore towards the PM-CARES Fund.

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli

Anushka Sharma and her cricketer-husband Virat Kohli pledged support towards the PM-CARES Fund and the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (Maharashtra). The power couple, however, refrained from revealing the amount of donation.

Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra

Shilpa Shetty and her businessman-husband Raj Kundra announced contribution of Rs 21 lakh towards the PM-CARES fund. The actress, in a tweet, wrote, "For humanity, our country, & fellow citizens that need us; now is the time, let’s do our bit. @TheRajKundra & I pledge 21 lacs to @narendramodi ji‘s PM-CARES Fund. Every drop in the ocean counts, so I urge you all to help fight this situation. #IndiaFightsCorona @PMOIndia"

Varun Dhawan

Akshay Kumar

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar surprised one and all by pledging to donate a gigantic amount of Rs 25 crore towards the PM-CARES fund set up to fight the coronavirus crisis. The Sooryavanshi actor made the announcement in a tweet that read, "This is that time when all that matters is the lives of our people. And we need to do anything and everything it takes. I pledge to contribute Rs 25 crores from my savings to @narendramodi ji’s PM-CARES Fund. Let’s save lives, Jaan hai toh jahaan hai."

Allu Arjun

Telugu star Allu Arjun donated Rs 1 crore 25 lakh towards the people of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala. The actor shared an Instagram post, writing, "The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many lives . In these difficult times with humility I would like to donate One Crore twenty five lakhs to the People of Andhra Pradesh , Telangana & Kerala .‬ ‪I am hopeful together we will fight & end this pandemic soon . ‬#stayhome"

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez has donated a part of her proceeds from her Dance Again tour merchandise sales to MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. The singer revealed the same via an Instagram post where she wrote, "It feels a little strange releasing something so lighthearted in the middle of such a heavy time for our world, but I also think it's so good reminder that we will get through this together..."

Arnold Schwarzenegger

The actor and politician has donated $1 million to a GoFundMe campaign called Frontline Responders Fund. Talking about it, the actor told Movieweb, "This is a simple way to protect our real action heroes on the frontlines in our hospitals and I'm proud to be a part of it. "

Kapil Sharma

Often regarded as the 'Comedy King of India', Kapil Sharma donated Rs 50 lakhs towards the PM relief fund for the coronavirus victims. His post could be read, "It's time to stand together with the ones who need us. Contributing Rs.50 lakhs to the PM relief fund towards the #fightagainstcorona. Request everyone to #stayhome #staysafe #jaihind #PMrelieffund @narendramodi."

I will be donating Rs.1 crore to PM relief fund to support our https://t.co/83OmZ9biYX Sri @narendramodi ji,in turbulent times like this. His exemplary and inspiring leadership would truly bring our country from this Corona pandemic.

Kangana Ranaut and mother

While Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut donated Rs 25 lakhs to PM-CARES fund, her mother too joined the bandwagon and donated a month's pension for the greater good.

Rohit Shetty

Rohit Shetty has donated Rs 51 lakh to the Federation of Western India Cinema Employees (FWICE) which has started a fund to support the daily wagers.

Rihanna

Earlier this week, the pop sensation's charity, Clara Lionel Foundation announced that it would be pledging a whopping $5 million towards the coronavirus response efforts. In a statement issued via its website, it stated that the money would go towards helping “on-the-ground partners on the frontlines of disaster response,” assisting vulnerable communities in the United States, the Caribbean and Africa.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively

The couple are typically known for their social media banter and trolling, but have decided to put the jokes aside for a moment, revealing, in mid-March, that they would be donating $1 million to be split between the organisations, the American-based Feeding America and Canada-based Food Banks Canada.

Lady Gaga

Since the outbreak, Lady Gaga has consistently shared messages of solidarity but on 16 March, her beauty line, Haus Labs announced that 20 per cent of all its sales would be going towards helping local food banks in Los Angeles and New York catering to the worst affected populations.

Jack Ma

China's richest man, and the former chairman of the monolithic e-commerce outfit, Alibaba, revealed on Twitter that he was helping arrange and distribute 1 million maks, and 500,000 diagnostic kits to the United States, via the philanthropic arm of the company, the Alibaba Foundation. Since then, Ma has continued to announce more donations to over 60 different countries including many in Europe and Africa.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates, along with his wife Melinda, have made names for themselves as two of the most prominent philanthropists across the world. In February, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it would commit $100 million toward the fight against the coronavirus. This was over and above the $10 million it pledged in January.

Rajinikanth, Suriya, Sivakarthikeyan and Vijay Sethupathi

Thalaivar has, reportedly, donated Rs 50 lakh toward the daily wage workers of the South Indian film industry, shortly after Film Employees Federation of South India President RK Selvamani made a plea to the film fraternity to chip in, wherever they could. Shortly after Rajinikanth's donation, Suriya, Sivakarthikeyan and Vijay Sethupathi also displayed their generous sides by pledging Rs 10 lakh each as well.

Anand Mahindra

Industry tycoon and Chairman of Mahindra Group also got in on the act, offering to convert Mahindra Holiday resorts into temporary care facilities to assist the sick and infected. Mahindra also announced plans to re-purpose the company's manufacturing units to produce much-needed ventilators in the fight against COVID-19. He also pledged to create a fund whereby he would donate 100 per cent of his salary towards disaster response initiatives.

Anubhav Sinha

Thappad director Anubhav Sinha has joined forces with the Producers Guild of India and the Federation of Western India Cine Employees as they look to set up a relief fund and ration distribution network. In a series of tweets, Sinha stated he was in search of volunteers who could help him distribute food grains to the needy across various areas in Mumbai. Soon after, actors Ronit Roy and Karanvir Bohra, as well as filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, announced their intentions to participate in the initiative.

Bajrang Punia

In a show of great generosity, wrestler Bajrang Punia has pledged to donate six months worth of his salary to relief efforts set up by the Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana government, urging others to follow suit and do the same.